Rust Belt Rundown

It’s the 50th episode of the Rust Belt Rundown! On this episode we are joined by Art Oestrike, the Founder of Jackie O’s Brewery.  Our host, Paul O’Connor, had the unique opportunity to record this episode at Jackie O’s On Fourth in Columbus, Ohio! This location is currently a carryout storefront but construction is underway for the inside bar and outdoor patio and they are scheduled to open in th...

This week we are joined by Jack Schron, President of Jergens, Inc. , a global manufacturing leader in workholding, lifting and specialty fasteners products.  In this episode Jack tells us about his extensive career with Jergens, what it’s like to work for a family-owned business and how his military experience influenced his leadership style. He also tells us the story of his innovative ideas arou...

This week on the Rundown we are joined by Ned Hill. Ned is a Professor of Economic Development in Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs. He is also a faculty member of The Ohio Manufacturing Institute, which is housed within OSU’s College of Engineering. Listen in as Paul and Ned discuss economic development in relation to regional planning and what cities need to do to attract remote...

On this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown, we are joined by Brian Krusz. Brian is the Founder of Sgt. Clean Car Wash, a premier car wash chain that has proudly served Northeast Ohio since 2013. As a former Marine, Brian emphasizes that Sgt. Clean is proudly Veteran owned and operated.  Listen in as he shares with us why he chose the Marines and how he got started in the car wash industry. He also t...

Michael Ciatto joins us on this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown! Michael is the SVP and Supply Chain Service Line CEO at Genpact , a global professional services firm. Michael talks about his experience at Dickinson College and how it connected him to mentors and offered him a more global perspective. Those experiences, along with the Rust Belt work ethic he inherited from his family, helped to s...

On this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown, we are joined by Nick Kasik, Director of Operations at the Hermanson Company. With over 30 years of experience as a construction executive, Nick has poured his experience and passion into “making the trades cool again”. Listen in as he shares the mission of his non-profit group, Working Class, and the different mediums they use to help young people explore...

We have a special episode this week on the Rust Belt Rundown! We are joined by Taylor Evans and Nate Stansberry as they introduce us to their newest venture, Workforce Strategy Partners . Rust Belt Recruiting has just reached five years of business under Workforce LLC and the family of companies is expanding to include WSP. WSP is a talent management consultancy that delivers processes and strateg...

This week we are joined by Harry Moser, the Founder of Reshoring Initiative . Reshoring Initiative is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to spread the “return-manufacturing-home” message to help manufacturers realize that America is an advantageous place to produce goods. He tells us the story of his personal experiences that inspired him to start this industry-led initiative in early 2010...

Joining us this week is Hallie Crouch, the Director of Strategy and Associate Principal of Bialosky Cleveland. Bialosky Cleveland is a multidisciplinary design firm whose clients include institutions, civic organizations, government agencies, and private developers. Hallie is a strategic and trusted advisor within her company where she occupies a self-created role. She offers us insight on the pow...

In this episode, we are joined by the Executive Director of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board , Michelle Rose . Listen in as Michelle shares her experience at the federal level with the U.S. Department of Labor and her return to Cleveland in this new era of leadership in our city as an appointee of Mayor Justin Bibb. Michelle offers us insight on the newfound buying power t...

Mick Jendrisak joins us on today’s episode of the Rust Belt Rundown. Listen in as Mick discusses his role at Pilot Plastics , their philosophy on workforce development, and the many service offerings they have to offer. Mick also takes the time to discuss the sales process of finding a new client in this industry, workforce automation and what it entails, and other future trends to expect over the...

We are joined by Ryan Landau, Founder of Purpose Jobs in this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown. Ryan discusses the revitalization of Detroit and other similar cities in the Midwest, detailing how and why to retain recent college graduates in their local workforce.  Listen in as Ryan takes us through his motivation for completing 5 Ironman triathlons, the effects of the pandemic on recent coll...

Matt Secrist of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP joins us in this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown. Matt recently joined Taft as an employee benefit and executive compensation attorney. Listen in as Matt discusses his time in the employee benefits industry, his new role with Taft, and some of the potential tax implications of remote work. If you find yourself in Chagrin Falls, check out a few o...

In this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown, we speak with Sam Friedman, Brand Director of Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve. Since moving back to Cleveland from his teaching job in Spain, Sam has helped to take family-owned Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve from his mother's kitchen to the successful online retailer it is today. Sam's favorite spot in Cleveland is called Hingetown, home to Amb...

Start your career by saying yes! In this episode, we're joined by Roslyn Quarto, Director of Workforce Innovation at Towards Employment. Listen in as she takes through her diverse career journey and gives advice to recent and upcoming grads on how to approach the world outside of college. 

We’re going abroad for this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown with logistics ninja, Ms. Ashley Lawson . Ashley is the Vice President and Managing Partner of Achieve Incentives & Meetings . Since the global pandemic began, Ashley set out to save her family business by proving that global travel was still safe (safer even in some parts) with only a backpack and her partner. After years in non-pro...

In this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown, we speak with Tanya Budler , Founder of Rise Together. Tanya co-created Rise Together, an impact consulting firm in Cleveland, because she truly believes that cities thrive when workforce, economic development and international newcomer communities work together. And don’t be fooled, just because Tanya is a Cleveland newbie does not mean she came unprepare...

In episode 33 of the Rust Belt Rundown, we’re joined by Andy McCartney, President of Bowden Manufacturing. Andy leads the conversation with lessons about leadership and teamwork learned from his experience in the Navy and from his love of sports. Being the president of a manufacturing organization, Andy knows the importance of workforce retention and keeping the interest of all generations. Bowden...

In this episode, we’re joined by Northeast Ohio career development experts, Ned Barnett of Polaris Career Center , Dustin Peugeot of Matrix Trade Institute , and Tim Duffy of Cleveland Industrial Training Center . These three panelists discuss the future of skilled trades in our region and the importance of educating high school students on the meaningful career options within the trades.

In honor of Women's History Month, we're joined by Beth Dawson , Apprenticeship Program Manager at Manufacturing Works , and Sara Tracey , Managing Director of Workforce Services at The Ohio Manufacturers' Association , who talk share their personal journeys of building a meaningful career as a woman in manufacturing, as well as a robust discussion on the challenges and opportunities women have on...

We're joined by Arian May , Director of Advancement at OhioGuidestone and she talks through the mission, values, and impact they work on every day to create a path for families and individuals to pursue a meaningful life and make a difference in their communities. 

In this episode, we talk all things sports, community, and leadership with Rachel Stentz-Baugher , Vice President of Administration & Development at the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission . She goes into detail about how she got to where she is today with the Commission, the exciting growth they’ve experienced over the years, and what things look like for the future of the Cleveland sports co...

In this episode, we’re joined by Jacob Duritsky , Vice President of Strategy and Research at Team NEO who shares how they work to connect strategy, resources, community, education, and opportunity to sell our region to innovative businesses looking for a place to call home.

In this episode, we’re joined by CEO of The City Club of Cleveland , Dan Moulthrop , and discuss a variety of Cleveland topics from the founding of the City Club and the impact they work to create in our local communities to education systems, career opportunities, economics, and funding programs.

We’re joined by Dave Gutheil , Chief Commercial Officer at the Port of Cleveland , and he talks through the root issues to the United States' current supply chain issues. He explains how smaller ports, like the Port of Cleveland, could make a big difference in alleviating the bottleneck and save customers time and money.